Infrared Fiber Optics.
Abstract
This final report summarizes a two-year research program to fabricate optical fibers that are transmissive between 1 and 12 micron. The ultimate goal of this program is to prepare infrared (IR) transmitting fibers with losses less than 5 dB/km. In preparing IR fibers with these low losses, we emphasized the extrusion of very pure KCl as this material has demonstrated bulk losses equal to or less than 5 dB/km in the 2- to 6-micron region. Unfortunately, we were not able to extrude bulk KCl into fiber with losses even approaching the goal. During the two-year program, we improved our KCl fiber from an initial loss of 20,000 dB/km to a best value of 4,200 dB/km. The exceptionally high losses in extruded KCl fiber resulted from the poor surface quality of the fiber. During the extrusion process, the friction between the die and fiber resulted in fibers whose surfaces were highly irregular (fish-scale appearance). Although lubricants alleviated this problem, we found that the fibers still had poor transmission because the lubricants (polymers, in general) could not be completely removed. Extrusions (without lubricants) using different die materials, die shapes, temperatures (25 to 30 C), and extrusion rates (1 mm/hr to 1 cm/sec) did not improve the overall quality of the fiber's surface.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA091321
Entities
People
- Arlie Standlee
- D. M. Henderson
- James A. Harrington
- Roger R. Turk
Organizations
- HRL Laboratories